Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Friday accused President Bush of failing to respect the Constitution amid the uproar over the firing of eight federal prosecutors.

The Illinois senator also took a swipe at embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Obama has joined several other Democrats in calling for Gonzales to resign.

"I was a constitutional law professor, which means unlike the current president I actually respect the Constitution," Obama told an audience at a campaign fundraiser. "I believe in an attorney general who is actually the people's lawyer, not the president's lawyer."

Obama's remarks drew one of the most enthusiastic responses in a speech often interrupted by applause.

Gonzales acknowledged Friday there is confusion about his role in firing the eight U.S. attorneys last fall. His former chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, told Congress Thursday that prosecutors put on a list to be fired got there in part because they were not deemed "loyal Bushies."

During his stop in Florida, Obama held a brief meeting with Democratic lawmakers and then spoke for about three minutes to more than 100 college students who held an impromptu rally outside an IMAX theater where he held his fundraiser.

"I just hope that everyone here has that same sense of urgency that I do," Obama told the students. "I hope the young people in particular use this campaign as a vehicle to get involved and engaged. This is one of those rare moments where we could change history, and those moments don't come that often. So I hope that all of you take advantage of it."

Inside the fundraiser, which was a sellout at 640 tickets and raised about $150,000, people packed a room and balcony.

So, um, if he's the People's Attorney, he should be elected by the people, right, and not like appointed to the um post through the head of the Executive Branch? Like the People's Representatives like are in the um House.

I mean I'm just sayin' since Obama knows about the Constitution and all like that.

Does not matter. "Issues" like this are being brought up more and more, along with the resurgence of the 911 Truthers, to begin the impeachment process.

It will be the people's perception of wrongdoing, not the proof of wrongdoing, that will be the force of the trial.

Just like no Katrina critic ever mentions The Stafford Act, the current Bush criticisms, like Obama's here, will just flatly state a terrible wrong that Bush did without any backup of law or substance.

It astounds me how this guy gets any attention. What scares me is that he does aim to change the course of history by bringing socialism to the USA as faster than the liberals could ever dream. He also does not understand how the Executive Branch functions IAW our Constitution! The people do not elect anyone in the President's Cabinet!!

I heard on Hardball that George Clooney stated that OBAMA actually left Clooney breathless.....now ,I'm a 51 yr old dislocated Texan livin' in Phoenix but that sounds like these two men were swappin' spit.

"I was a constitutional law professor, which means ... I believe in an attorney general who is actually the people's lawyer, not the president's lawyer."

Oh really? Guess you skipped skool when they got the part about JFK and his brother RFK. And were you high on crack for eight years when Willard's wife had her lesbo 'b*tch' Janet Rino as AG, huh 'Barry'?

An aside Dumbo, if the AG is the 'people's lawyer', why don't we elect him? Yes 'professor', I'm waiting...

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